R 051600Z JUN 01
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
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UNCLAS //N03501//
ALMAR 021/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/CMC//
SUBJ/MARINE CORPS INFORMATION OPERATIONS (IO)//
POC/MAJ WINTERSTEIN/PLI-3/PP&O/TEL: (703) 692-4329
/EMAIL: WINTERSTEINGA@HQMC.USMC.MIL//
REF/A/DOC/JOINT PUB 3-13/9 OCT 1998//
AMP/THE REF IS CURRENT JOINT DOCTRINE FOR IO//
RMKS/1. THIS ALMAR PUBLISHES CMC GUIDANCE FOR IO.
2. THE REF DEFINES IO AS "ACTIONS TAKEN TO AFFECT ADVERSARY
INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS WHILE DEFENDING ONE'S OWN
INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS." THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF
IO IS TO SUPPORT THE ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES ACROSS THE
SPECTRUM OF CONFLICT BY MORE EFFECTIVELY INFLUENCING KEY
DECISION-MAKERS AND THEIR DECISIONS.
3. FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN THE GLOBAL STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT HAVE
CREATED CONDITIONS IN WHICH IO WILL SERVE A CRITICAL ROLE TOWARDS
ACHIEVEMENT OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY OBJECTIVES. TODAY'S LESS
ORDERED SECURITY ENVIRONMENT INCLUDES TRANSNATIONAL ACTORS AND
ASYMMETRIC THREATS THAT CHALLENGE TRADITIONAL MILITARY THINKING AND
DEFY UNIQUELY MILITARY OPTIONS. NOW, MORE THAN EVER, THERE IS
A NEED TO INTEGRATE ALL ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL POWER TO ACHIEVE OUR
SECURITY OBJECTIVES. ADVANCES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HAVE
ENABLED RAPID GLOBAL DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION THAT CAN QUICKLY
INFLUENCE POPULATIONS AND THEIR LEADERS. THE SITUATION PRESENTS
BOTH CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. INTEGRATION OF IO AS AN
ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR ROUTINE OPERATIONS IN THE EXPEDITIONARY
AND JOINT ENVIRONMENTS CAN HELP PREVENT OR MITIGATE THE EFFECTS
OF CRISES AND CONFLICTS. SHOULD DETERRENCE FAIL, IO WILL HELP
MARINES WIN IN WAR BY PROVIDING ESSENTIAL PROTECTION AND ENHANCING
THE EFFECTIVE USE OF FORCE.
4. THE MARINE CORPS WILL INTEGRATE IO INTO OUR ROUTINE OPERATIONS.
MY INTENT IS TO ENHANCE THE OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY OF OUR MAGTFS
IN THE JOINT ENVIRONMENT THROUGH INTELLIGENT EMPLOYMENT OF CURRENT
MARINE CORPS AND JOINT IO CAPABILITIES BY MARINE COMMANDERS, THEIR
STAFFS, AND SUBORDINATE COMMANDS. MY GOAL IS TO OPERATIONALIZE IO
IN THE MAGTFS WITHIN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS BY LEVERAGING EXISTING JOINT
DOCTRINE, ORGANIZATIONS AND CAPABILITIES. AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL
EMBARK ON IMPROVING SERVICE-WIDE COMPETENCY IN IO THROUGH OUR COMBAT
DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. I ASK THE DEPUTY
COMMANDANT, PLANS, POLICIES, AND OPERATIONS - SUPPORTED BY THE
COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS (C4) DEPARTMENT, AND
INTELLIGENCE (I) DEPARTMENT - TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE
AND COORDINATE INITIAL MARINE CORPS EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH MY
INTENT. AS OUR PROGRAM MATURES, WE WILL REASSESS SPONSORSHIP OF
IO UNDER OUR WARFIGHTING ADVOCATES.
5. THE MARINE CORPS REMAINS WELL-POSITIONED TO PLAY A LEADING
ROLE IN DEFENSE OF OUR NATIONAL OBJECTIVES; HOWEVER, TO BE SUCCESSFUL
WE MUST CONTINUE TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGING WORLD ENVIRONMENT. OUR
EFFORTS TO OPERATIONALIZE IO, COMBINED WITH OUR EXPEDITIONARY FORWARD
PRESENCE, PROVIDE US A UNIQUE AND CRITICAL OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE
IN JOINT IO.
6. SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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